Spread of MFN treaties in the 1860’s – an animation… GB as hegemon

With the help of Sune Lehmann, David Lazer develops an animation of the spread of MFN treaties in the 1860s. According to Lazer, one of the major themes that dominates the study of international relations is the two-prong notion of hierarchy and hegemony. The rules of the international system are determined by the hegemon or by a collective of dominant states. The study of the international system is really a story of a contest for hegemony (cf Kindleberger, Organski, Gilpin, among many others). The relative free trade regime that emerged in the 1860s is often taken as a case study of the role of hierarchy in the international system, where the hegemon – Great Britain – imposes a set of rules on the international order that serves its own interests in free trade.

One thought on “Spread of MFN treaties in the 1860’s – an animation… GB as hegemon”

﻿ That was a great article. I will look for his book. There are two interesting items in the social network analysis. One, the unusual role of GB after the network sprang to life as you noted. Two, the position of the US. Both of the great free-trading states of the world are minor players in Lazar’s network.